Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a joint that slides and rotates right in front of the ear. The chewing muscles connects the lower jaw to the skull so that you can move your jaw and chew, sink, speck and communicate.
TMJ problems (Temporomandibular Disorder, TMD) can affect children and adults and do often affect more women than men. The condition is often cyclical. Some tasks, either mentally (stress) or physical (strain), can cause or worsen TMD. Other causes may be lost or crooked teeth, overbid, malocclusion, head or neck injury.
Children often clench their teeth when the teeth are erupting. It’s not unusual, neither is it a problem if it’s mild. However, more severe cases may lead to malocclusion that often requires orthodontics to avoid developing TMJ problems
TMD symptoms
- Clenching or grinding teeth
- Exacerbation of your parodontitis
- Sensitive teeth when no dental problems can be found
- Malocclusion or ‘crisp’ teeth that require crowns
- Noise (clicking, popping, crushing) when you open or close your mouth
- Reduced opening or closing of the jaw
- Pain or soreness in the jaw or face muscles
- Frequent time (side) headache
- Earaches or the ring of the ears (tinnitus)
- Pain or soreness around the TMJ, especially when eating
- Noise that sometimes disrupts your partner’s sleep
Treatment of TMD
- Replace missing teeth or correct a bad bite (the way your teeth meet)
- Physical therapy, posture training
- Practice stress management and relaxation techniques
- Eating soft foods and avoiding chewing gum can help relax muscles
- Taking pain relievers and using ice and hot gaskets
- Breaking bad habits (thumbsucking, heavy sticks, usual biting on objects or fingernails, mouth breathing)
- Checking knotted or grinding during the day
- At night, use a nightguard. Treatment with a nightguard in the initial phase is very cost effective compared to not treating the problem and risking damaged teeth followed by crowns, bridges or prostheses.
In order to determine the best course of treatment, an accurate diagnosis is important. Consult with Dr. Hoffmeyer to determine if you suffer from TMJ syndrome and weather it affects your periodontal condition.
